Important Notice for Active Police Officer Member of the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund

Elections Materials

The following is the Notice adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (�OP&F�) on January 26, 2005, regarding the election of a �Police Employee Member� of OP&F�s Board, representing active OP&F police officers for a four (4) year term commencing on June 6, 2005.

1. The term of Bob Beck will expire on June 5, 2005.
2. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 742.03, a successor will be elected for a term of four (4) years, commencing on June 6, 2005.
3. A police officer is eligible to vote in the election of a �Police Officer Member� of OP&F�s Board of Trustees if the police officer is an OP&F member and an employee of an OP&F�covered police department on March 7, 2005, but not a retirant of OP&F on April 4, 2005.
4. The Board will cause a �Notice of Election� to be sent to each police department in the state having members in OP&F. This notice will be sent by OP&F no later than February 7, 2005.
5. Nominating petitions may be obtained at OP&F�s office on and after February 7, 2005. In addition, petitions secured from the Board and petitions drawn up other than by the Board must be signed on or after February 7, 2005.
6. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 742.04, nominating petitions for candidates for the �Police Officer Member� Board seat must be signed by at least one hundred (100) members of OP&F who are active police officers, with at least twenty (20) signers with residences in the same county from at least five (5) counties of the state.
7. Persons filing nominating petitions who wish to submit a black and white photograph of himself or herself for reproduction in the ballots must deliver the photograph to OP&F�s office no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on April 4, 2005 and OP&F and American Arbitration Association reserve the right to crop these photographs.
8. In addition to filing the required nominating petitions, all candidates must file a Certificate of Eligibility in the form approved by the Board of Trustees that confirms that the person is not ineligible to run for election to the Board of Trustees for any of the reasons outlined in Section 742.046 of the Revised Code. The Certificate of Eligibility may be obtained at OP&F�s office on or after February 7, 2005.
9. Nominating petitions and Certificate of Eligibility must be filed in OP&F�s office no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on April 4, 2005. The independent elections administrator will certify the petition signatures and candidate eligibility based on OP&F�s records.
10. Unless there is an uncontested election, the Board will cause an independent election firm, the American Arbitration Association, to conduct the preparation of the ballots, which will contain the names of the candidates for whom proper nominating petitions have been filed with OP&F and certified by the independent elections administrator.
11. In the event of an uncontested election, no ballots will be mailed and the Board will declare the sole candidate as the �Police Employee Member� of OP&F�s Board for a term of four (4) years, commencing June 6, 2005.
12. The American Arbitration Association will have the duties of preparing, mailing out, counting, making the final determination of the validity of all returned ballots, and certifying the results of the election.
13. On or before May 2, 2005, the American Arbitration Association will cause a ballot to be sent to each member of OP&F who is eligible to vote in such election. The American Arbitration Association will use the addresses of such members, as noted in OP&F�s records as of the close of business on April 8, 2005. The American Arbitration Association will not forward any undeliverable ballot to a new address.
14. Ballots will contain the names of the candidates and the position of the names on such ballots will be rotated so that each candidate�s name appears in the top position an equal number of times. The reverse side of each ballot will contain specific instructions on how a vote should be cast. If the instructions are not explicitly followed, the ballot will be void.
15. The American Arbitration Association will provide a postage�prepaid business reply envelope with each ballot. The voting member must include his or her name, address and signature on the top left hand corner of the business reply envelope. Business reply envelopes not showing the member�s name, address and signature will cause the ballot being returned to be void. Ballots will be returned directly to American Arbitration Association�s address, but if OP&F receives a ballot before the deadline noted in paragraph 16 below, the ballot will be sent to the American Arbitration Association.
16. Ballots must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on May 17, 2005. Ballots received later than that date will not be counted.
17. The Board will announce the results of the election no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on May 24, 2005. All ballots will be retained under the security of American Arbitration Association for sixty (60) days.
18. The Board will declare the person receiving the highest number of votes, or in the event of an uncontested election, the only candidate nominated, elected as a �Police Employee Member� of the Board for a term of four (4) years, commencing June 6, 2005.